How Citymapper is changing how we get from A to B

Citymapper has been simplifying our stressful commutes and muddled transport networks since 2011 – and injecting a bit of fun into things while doing so. Aimée McLaughlin investigates how the team behind the app is helping to shape the future of our cities

Cities are naturally hugely diverse places, filled with people from an array of different backgrounds, and with a wide variety of interests. There are a handful of things that unite anyone who has succumbed to city life though: an obsession with transport being one of them. Ask your typical city dweller how long it takes them to get to work, for instance, and they can usually pinpoint their route down to the nearest minute.

Enter Citymapper: the handy app that will not only map your journey for you but also list all possible modes of transport – ranging from walking to bike hire – and prioritise them in order of convenience and speediness, so that you don’t have to. Just like the invention of Google Search, or other apps such as Deliveroo and Uber, Citymapper has proved to be one of those incredibly useful innovations that makes us instantly forget how we all managed before it was around.